


the fears that hold us

by oceanic (jangmun)



Category: ONEUS (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gore and Violence, Hunter!Hwanwoong, M/M, Magic AU, Open Ending, Prince!Keonhee, Royalty AU, Slow Burn, i forgot dongju but i swear i love him too, keonhee is precious, mostly fluff i swear, not extreme, probably inaccuracies about royalty, unbetad we die like men, youngjo is hardly mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:48:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24649003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jangmun/pseuds/oceanic
Summary: Hwanwoong, Nightmare Hunter nearing the final stages of his training, is barely 16, but he still knows it's love at first sight when his eyes land upon the Prince.
Relationships: Lee Keonhee & Yeo Hwanwoong
Kudos: 15
Collections: Moonlight Fic Fest





	the fears that hold us

**Author's Note:**

> firstly, the writing style for this fic is meant to be long, run-on ish. it's stylistic preference on my end. secondly, i did forget dongju but i swear it wasn't intentional, just not a fan of adding people for the sake of putting them there. thirdly it's unebtad and i have no regrets about posting it this way.

The castle on the hill silhouettes nicely in the oranges and pinks of the late sunset. From the little village several miles away, Hwanwoong can just make out the highest towers and flags that flutter in the westward facing wind. The late summer humidity foreshadows and oncoming storm, pushing the warm air from the south through the alleyways of the houses of the village, whistling some tuneless melody as it searches for an escape.

Hwanwoong’s home isn’t very protected from harsh rains. The upstairs rooms are about as safe as standing out in the open, save for a few extra seconds as the walls provide some protection. The horribly carved out cellar below the kitchen provides safety, though Hwanwoong does not like the smell of the meat preserving or the awkwardly wet air.

His family are Nightmare hunters, he isn’t even sure why they live in such a dingy cottage in a small village. Seoho lives in a mansion practically, just outside the castle walls. The noble town, his father once called it. _Filled with uptight assholes with nothing better to do than flaunt their riches and gloat about their prized children._ Somehow living with the lower class makes their family better, or so Hwanwoong was brought up to believe.

Thinking too much about the situation of their family life only makes Hwanwoong more curious about living in the noble town. Does Seoho have to worry about the storms like he does? Are his books and scrolls and various possessions protected in those stone walls and high roofs? Hwanwoong once tried to stay the night, though his father denied the request before he could even finish the words.

Hwanwoong sets down the book he is reading on the patterned quilt at the foot of his bed. His feet swing off the side, just barely touching the floor. Outside his bedroom window he can see the dark grey clouds rolling in, quickly covering the sunset and disguising the castle in its darkness. His father isn’t home yet, two hours late from his usual arrival at just before dinner. Something tells Hwanwoong that he and his mother shouldn’t expect him to be home at a reasonable hour, probably too deep in hunting to realize that he missed saying goodnight.

He just prays the storm passes by quickly, leaving behind a nice soak for the dried out dirt and refreshing the crops for the late harvest. But some feeling deep inside him warns him to not be so hopeful. “Hwanwoong, can you come down for a second?”

Hopping off the bed, Hwanwoong rushes down the stairs to aid his mother in whatever she’s called upon him for. “What is it?” He stops just at the last step, peering over the railing and into the kitchen, where his mother is finishing the last preparations for tomorrow’s feast.

A celebration of sorts. The village organizes one every harvest, never delayed for any reason, except for the one time they had to. Hwanwoong was about five years younger, and the harvest had been pushed back a few days due to a rather strong illness that spread quickly through the village. He’d even come down with it the week before the festival, a horrible week spent in a feverish state, not sure of the time of day and unable to move more than an inch from his bed. Young as his body is though, he overcame the illness in a matter of four days. This storm is no illness, so the festival should resume as planned. “Can you help me put all of this away for tomorrow?”

Hwanwoong hops off the last step, taking the packed food down to the cellar. He’s always admired the dedication his mother puts into the preparations, always watching from a distance as to not disturb her careful craftsmanship. She’s tried teaching him a few times, though nothing that he can do will ever replicate the beauty of his mother’s skill. He opts to help in other ways, mostly as extra hands when her own get too full.

Everything is put away in a matter of minutes, the thunder rattling the house. The storms used to scare Hwanwoong when he was younger. He would run to his mother’s side, hide behind her skirts and stay frightfully awake for hours until sleep got hold of him. She never once complained, comforting him and reminding him that storms are only temporary. “Your father should’ve certainly been home by now.”

“Maybe it’s a difficult night for the kids.” Hwanwoong smiles. “We should get some rest.”

“You say that as if you aren’t a kid yourself, Hwanwoong.”  


“I’m fifteen, that’s not a kid.”

His mother chuckles, shaking her head. “Fifteen is still a kid to me, dear.”

“Goodnight mother.”

Hwanwoong heads back upstairs and crawls into his bedding, laying on his stomach to watch the storm roll over their village. There’s something so relaxing to it, something that brings peace to Hwanwoong’s mind. His father’s absence from the night and the worry that something might have happened wash away, only slightly but just enough that Hwanwoong can focus on the excitement of the day ahead. He hopes the storm will pass by before the long set up of the festival, praying that it won’t wash away their hard work in decorations and temporary stands and instead brings a day of sunshine and warmth. The rain comes softer than he expected, a downpour but nothing dangerous. But he doesn’t stay awake long enough to watch the rain fall any harder, sleep gripping onto him and pulling him into its arms.

The morning after the storm, Hwanwoong is surprised to hear his father’s voice downstairs. The sunshine warms the bedroom, distorted by the wooden bars separating the panes of glass. He doesn’t bother getting up yet, taking in the late morning sun and relishing in the fact that his back isn’t sore from the flat cots of the cellar. The footsteps coming from the staircase bring him back to his feet, hurriedly getting changed from his nighttime clothes and into his festival attire. It’s nothing too fancy, though he does get some extra happiness from the frilly sleeves.

His father appears in the doorway just as he’s buttoning up his vest. “It’s nice to see you awake this early, Hwanwoong.”

“Why didn’t you come home last night?”

“You know the storms make children anxious.” His father shakes his head. “Had trouble hunting out the Nightmares from last night.”

Hwanwoong has always admired his father. An expert in their family business, a man who’s hunted more nightmares than anyone else he knows. It’s not exactly easy, and Hwanwoong can’t even compare to his level. It’s a large set of shoes to fill, but Hwanwoong is determined. Nightmares work a little differently than the myths most grew up with. They’re horrifying demonic creatures, taking form in many different ways. Some manifest into people of the past, ex lovers or people who have wronged someone, while others take the forms of dragons or goblins with horrible teeth and an unsettling, high pitched scream.

The realm they dwell in cannot be entered without special abilities. Nightmare hunters are born with it, the ability to shift from one world to the next. Hwanwoong isn’t the most skilled at the change, but he’s better than he was even just a year ago. Inside the realm, hunters have a range of magic at their disposal. Some Nightmares dispel quickly, a result of having a weakened attachment to the people they haunt.

His father deals with the more attached Nightmares. The ones who don’t want to let go, often recurring and more dangerous in their physical forms than the images they make people see. Hwanwoong still remembers when his father returned once with a horrible gash on his arm, result of fighting the more resistant Nightmares.

Hwanwoong fears the day he has to take on the most daunting versions of Nightmares, though all of his training has been leading up to it. “Anything super dangerous?”

His father shakes his head. “Nothing dangerous, just tedious.”

He follows his father downstairs where his mother is cooking the food she prepared the night before. Her face is concentrated, whole body so in focus that she doesn’t acknowledge their presence. “The festival is going to start in a few hours.” His mother’s voice startles Hwanwoong.

“I know it is. I am not prepared for it.”

“Are you doing something special?” Hwanwoong looks up.

“No. The Royal couple is coming into the village for the festival, bringing the Crown Prince with them.”

Hwanwoong can’t contain his excitement. If the Royal couple is coming, surely that means Seoho will be coming with them. “Why are they coming to the village?”

His father shakes his head. “No one actually knows. But this is the first time in almost two decades that they are making an appearance.”

Hwanwoong is more than excited now, practically bouncing in place as he watches his mother and father finish their contribution to the festival. He gets to taste test the food (which is just as good as ever), and when the time comes, he helps carry the food out to the courtyard, setting it down at the tables set out in preparation. 

The village people gossip about the arrival of the Royal family, coming up with their own reasons why such a visit is called for. Hwanwoong eavesdrops only a few times, the reasons ranging from just a boredom of such a large castle to the announcement of coronation for their Crown Prince.

“Morning, Hwanwoong.”

Hwanwoong startles from his seat, looking around to find the cause of his scare. Seoho appears just before him, smiling with that smile Hwanwoong is so familiar with. “You really did come!” Hwanwoong pulls the older into a hug,

“Did you think I’d miss out?”

“Do you know why the family are here?” Hwanwoong’s disappointment suppresses his previous excitement as Seoho shakes his head, offering up the only information that he does know: the Royal family invited Seoho’s family to come with them, and that their surprise visit will be explained later that day.

It isn’t a moment later that the horns announce the presence of the family, regal in their vibrant violet clothing and golden jewelry. Hwanwoong hides behind Seoho, scared to be seen by the eyes of such important people. The Queen looks beautiful as ever, adorned in a crown Hwanwoong has never seen her pictured in before, wearing such a full skirt he wonders how she’s even able to walk in it. The ruffles and frills of her skirts and sleeves bring forth her beauty, beautiful gold earrings and necklaces catching the near noon sun, sparkling almost blindingly.

Hwanwoong finds the display of wealth almost insulting, though mostly impractical. The festival isn’t exactly clean, and most certainly not Royalty friendly. The King’s attire seems more fitting for the occasion, rather simple and plain, though certainly cut from the same expensively dyed cloth that his Queen’s outer skirts are made from. He doesn’t wear near as much gold, mostly used to decorate his crown and neck piece. The jewels contained catch the sunlight more, beautiful sapphires complimenting the deep purple of his cape and vest.

Seoho bows as the family pass them by, prompting Hwanwoong to do the same. It is then that he catches a glimpse of the Prince, wearing the simplest of outfits in a display of simple dress attire. He only wears purple in the form of a waistcoat, which fits to his form snugly. His undershirt consists of a thin turtleneck and a buttoned up white dress shirt which bears similar sleeves to Hwanwoong’s own. He looks like the definition of beauty, and Hwanwoong is practically enamored. What sets in stone Hwanwoong’s infatuation occurs as the Prince glances their direction, eyes catching Hwanwoong quickly, and the slight smile he flashes only swoons his heart more.

Seoho laughs, bringing Hwanwoong back to the reality and subsequent disappointment as the Royal family bass by them without a single word. “You looked absolutely in love with the Prince there for a moment.”

“You never mentioned that the Prince was that beautiful!” Hwanwoong whines, hiding his shame in his hands. “I’ve never seen anyone from the family, or from your town besides your family, how was I supposed to know?”

Seoho shakes his head. “You wouldn’t be the only one, Hwanwoong.”

The festival’s activities begin with his father’s official announcement, and the children run off together to play with the new toys presented by the woodworkers and blacksmiths. Hwanwoong sticks to Seoho’s side, too scared to move away from him. Every once in a while he catches sight of the Prince, who stands beside his parents. He seems so out of place, and if Hwanwoong were to guess, he probably wishes to participate but is entirely unsure how. 

Seoho nudges him out of a bout of staring at the Prince. “Why don’t you talk to him?”

“How could I?”

“By talking? Just because he’s the Prince doesn’t mean you can’t talk to him. He’s still a human, Hwanwoong.”

Seoho pushes Hwanwoong forcefully toward the Prince. He stumbles on his feet, struggling to maintain balance and avoiding making a fool out of himself. Hwanwoong talks himself up, reminding him that what Seoho said is true: just because he’s wearing fancy clothing and stands besides the Royal couple and dons the Crown Prince name doesn’t mean he isn’t human. Fate works in his favor as the couple are whisked away by some of the village folk enticing them with some of the traditions of the harvest festival. The Prince and Hwanwoong are finally alone, and Hwanwoong gathers all the courage that he can to talk to him.

Instead of getting a proper introduction out of the way, Hwanwoong’s words catch in his throat almost literally, as he chokes on his spit and effectively startling the Prince from his daze. The Prince looks around frantically for something to drink, running off to fetch Hwanwoong some water, coming back in only a moment and holding it out. Hwanwoong takes the cup from his hand, fingers brushing momentarily and sending heat from his fingertips and up Hwanwoong’s arm. He swallows down the water as quickly as he can, holding onto the cup as the Prince watches him curiously. “Are you alright?”

Hwanwoong might have left the question unanswered a little too long, but his mind is occupied in the current state of the Prince’s face. His eyes are surprisingly round, almost childlike and shining with emotions Hwanwoong can only describe as curious concern. Maybe that isn’t quite what the Prince is feeling, but nothing else better describes the look he’s being given. Surprisingly his eye color is a mix of not quite brown, not quite blue, something sort of in between and not at all ugly but the complete opposite, beautifully complimenting the rest of his appearance. 

He clears his throat. “Sorry, I am.”

“You scared me there for a moment.”

Hwanwoong only feels more embarrassed, unsure of how exactly to reply to the Prince’s declaration of being scared of his choking on his own spit endeavor, but the whole point of any of this is to try and make him feel less out of place, so Hwanwoong puts aside his embarrassment to properly introduce himself. “I’m so sorry. I was only trying to introduce myself. I’m Yeo Hwanwoong.”

“Lee Keonhee, please don’t address me with all that fancy _my Prince_ stuff, it isn’t necessary.” He even waves his hand in the air, dismissing all forms of formality with such a simple gesture let alone his words. “Yeo Hwanwoong, right? Are you the son of Yeo Hwangeon?”

“Yes. We’re—“

“Nightmare hunters!” The excitement in the Prince’s voice surprises Hwanwoong. “That’s so cool! Are you good at it?”

“Ah, I’ve only been training with my father and Seoho, I’m not the best yet.” Hwanwoong feels even more embarrassed, even worried that he might have somehow disappointed the Prince by not meeting some unknown expectations. However, the Prince surprises him again by offering once more that sweet smile that caught Hwanwoong’s attention the first time.

“But you’ll get better one day. No need to rush perfection.”

_You are already completely perfect_. Hwanwoong saves his thoughts for his own mind to chew on, offering to ask the Prince about his normal activities. To Hwanwoong’s surprise, he learns that the Prince likes to ride horses and read books, similar to his own usual activities. Hwanwoong marvels in the way the Prince talks, not so posh as he was expecting but also nothing like the village folk Hwanwoong grew up listening to, just the perfect amount of normalcy.

The conversation shifts itself from the normalcy of the Prince’s life to Hwanwoong’s. “This is the first festival I’ve been to that isn’t in the noble town. What is this one for?”

“This is for the final summer harvest. The kids are gifted with toys made by the blacksmiths or woodworkers, and food is prepared for everyone. The harvest was completed two days ago, and the food is made from the leftovers after the distribution and trade of goods. We celebrate until the morning sunrise.” Hwanwoong points out where the kids are gathered now, playing in the paints and papers given to them from the press shops. “Kids will make drawings and offer them to the elder population of the village. And later they will make jewelry to give to their parents during the dinner feast.”

The Prince looks at Hwanwoong with a certain expression that almost terrifies him. “Can we do them too?”

“Do what?”

“The drawings and making jewelry. It sounds so much more interesting than just standing here and looking around.”

Hwanwoong hums, thinking for just a moment about what he should say. The kids seem occupied in their little circle, likely unwilling to let them join their side (even if the Prince uses his Royalty card, which Hwanwoong somehow doubts he’d even think of doing), but he doesn’t want to disappoint the Prince either. “Yeah, just wait here for a moment, I’ll get us supplies.”

The Prince responds with a rather obvious statement about how he had nowhere else to go anyways, and Hwanwoong runs off to gather paint and brushes and paper for the two of them, returning to the Prince with a handful of supplies and dropping them onto the table. The pans of paint aren’t the most secure, but they remain closed enough that no paint is unnecessarily spilled. The Prince’s eyes light up at the colors. “How do you guys make all of these supplies? You don’t have mages here, do you?” The Prince pulls open the pan of red paint, dipping one of the thicker brushes into it as if he couldn’t believe that the paint is real.

“We make them by hand, mostly. The press shops are really good at preparing these things before hand, as it takes a while. No magic here.” Hwanwoong opens the blue, looking at the Prince, who stares at the blank sheet of parchment sitting before him. “Don’t know what to draw?”

“Is there anything in specific I’m supposed to do?” Hwanwoong shakes his head, hoping that maybe if he started painting first it would ease Keonhee’s mind into painting mindlessly as well. The Prince watches Hwanwoong for a while, red paint dripping back into the pan from his paintbrush as he remains not using it, until finally he comes up with something and starts painting. “You know when I was younger I was taught how to draw?”

“Were you?”

“I didn’t exactly have a choice, though. It was something my parents had me learn as some extra skill under my belt.” Hwanwoong takes a break for a moment to watch the Prince. His brush glides so elegantly across the parchment, the paint following in smooth thin lines and if Hwanwoong looks at the bigger picture he can see how the lines connect into a beautiful display of roses, and even without a physical reference the Prince somehow still captures the delicacy of the flower and all of its flaws. Hwanwoong forgets about his painting as his remains captured by the Prince and the display of sheer talent. “Aren’t you going to finish your own painting, Hwanwoong?”

“R-Right.” Promptly, Hwanwoong returns to his painting, trying his best not to compare himself to the boy in front of him, though he cannot help it as he watches his lines come out bumpy and uneven, and his brush trembles and the paint even dries out of his brush before he finishes the line. Though he gets distracted in the picture once he focuses even harder, and eventually he’s finishing up the last detail and creates something he is only decently proud of. Nothing compares to the beautiful display of roses that is captured on the Prince’s parchment, but it is the thought that actually counts, after all. The Prince helps clean up the mess, closing the pans up for Hwanwoong and setting their paintings aside while he finds a space to clean out their brushes, returning a moment later with clean brushes and a smile on his face.

“When do we give these to people?”

“In about an hour, usually when the sun fully sets.” Hwanwoong sits beside him, tapping his fingers on his thighs. “I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“How come your family came to this festival? Surely we aren’t important enough to warrant a visit.

The Prince shakes his head. “Do you really want to know, Hwanwoong?”

“Of course.”

“I asked my parents to take me to a festival that wasn’t put on by the noble town, and they suggested coming here.” The Prince hums. “You know, this festival is so much more lively than anything else I’ve been to.”

“Really?”

Hwanwoong listens to the Prince describe the festivals put on the by the nobility. They celebrate anything from the birthdays of the Royal family to full moons. Each of them are smilier in celebration, usually revolving around a dance and some food prepared by chefs, but nothing elaborate or as meaningful. (That’s how the Prince describes the Harvest festival, at least). So maybe the life of Royalty isn’t everything it is written to be in storybooks, and maybe Hwanwoong should be more happy that his parents decided to stay in the village and raise Hwanwoong with the village traditions. He wonders how Seoho can live in a town that mainly partakes in dancing, and imagining Seoho dancing makes Hwanwoong laugh almost. “That sounds incredibly boring.”

The Prince laughs, shaking his head. “It is incredibly boring.”

Hwanwoong looks up at the sky, smiling. “The sun’s about to set.”

“And then we can give our paintings?” The Prince only smiles more when Hwanwoong affirms his question. 

The King and Queen are busying themselves with some of the noblemen who came along with them, as well as Hwanwoong’s parents, paying no mind to their son who follows Hwanwoong like a puppy, waiting for the chance to give his beautifully designed roses off to an elder in the village. The elders sit in a circle beside a fire pit, passing around food and sharing stories with each other, the way that they traditionally do. The Prince seems more excited each step closer they take toward the elder circle, and every time Hwanwoong turns to make sure he is still following he finds the Prince’s eyes sparkling even more than the last time he’d turned around, smile growing wider and stretching across his face. How cute to see him so excited to do something that Hwanwoong’s done for years now.

“So what do we do?” The Prince whispers as Hwanwoong comes to a stop. The elders hush their stories, turning around to give attention to the pair, eyes piercing into their chests as the tradition officially begins. Hwanwoong takes the brief moment of silence to explain that they will ask for him to come to them, and that he would start to give an example of the process.

Hwanwoong sits before the elder who’d previously called his name, smiling softly as he sets the painting down between them. He recognizes the older woman as Doyun, a long time resident of the village and a woman he has gifted several of his youngest paintings to. “It’s nice to see you join in on the tradition this year, Hwanwoong. I was starting to think you were getting too old to participate.”

“I wanted to show the Prince some of our traditions.” Hwanwoong brushes off the comment, though not disrespectfully. The quilt on the foot of his bed is a work of her delicate hands. 

She shakes her head, accompanied by a slight laugh that Hwanwoong has heard a few times before. “You have always been a good kid, haven’t you?” She picks up the parchment before her, admiring the bluebird painted not completely in the center of the paper, not completely accurate to real life, but certainly made from Hwanwoong’s heart. “You’ve always given me birds, you know? Every year I’ve had you gift to me, it’s been some bird.”

“I always have this dream of this flightless bird.” Hwanwoong hasn’t talked about it with anyone, and he’ll admit that he hasn’t had the dream recently either. “I’m sitting on top of a hill looking at the ocean and sitting a little bit away from me will be a bird with a broken wing. I don’t know why, though.”

“Is there anything else about this dream?” Doyun grasps Hwanwoong’s hands with her own, surprisingly cold to the touch despite being in close proximity to the fire pit. Hwanwoong shakes his head. “Nothing else really, except that whenever I try to help it it’ll disappear, like it doesn’t want help?”

Dreams usually mean nothing. Hwanwoong is very aware that this flightless bird dream could be a matter of nothing, and that his mind is just making it to be a bigger deal than it actually is. But the bird is oddly familiar to him, and seeing it appear so many times he can only assume that it has to mean _something_. “I wouldn’t think too much about it, Hwanwoong. Overthinking can cause you to make problems out of nothing.”

Hwanwoong nods, looking up at the Prince, who’s fidgeting with the edge of his painting, possibly in anticipation that he might need to open up to complete elderly strangers. However, with the painting exchanged, Hwanwoong stands up to comfort the Prince, and perhaps reassure his uneasy thoughts that he’d have to share his short life span with Hwanwoong’s village elders. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to tell them anything. They might tell you something, though.”

“Somehow that worries me more, Hwanwoong.” The Prince steps forward, only stopping in place to turn back around at Hwanwoong. “Also, I told you to do away with all of that Prince formality, Keonhee is just fine, okay?”

“I’m sorry my— I’m sorry, Keonhee.” Hwanwoong stands a small distance away as the Prince— _Keonhee_ — starts the tradition of gifting his roses to one of the elders. Seogun, one of the oldest in the circle, decides to choose the Prince. Their conversation starts rather awkwardly, a mixture of Seogun’s slurred speech and the Prince’s lack of experience in this tradition. 

Hwanwoong finds amusement in the way Seogun admires the art piece, taking the chance to study both the Prince and the piece as one, going on and on about the meanings of everything the Prince had chosen as if he’d planned all of it beforehand anyways. Then Seogun starts on in his ramblings, most known for his tales of the foundation of the village, how long ago a mage outcasted from the nobility founded the village after finding their sacred willow tree and wanting to build a house next to it.

Hwanwoong’s heard the tale a few times before, about how the mage built the population based on his beliefs and teachings, encouraging the non magic population to take nature as she comes and leave it as it is, never interfering if there isn’t a good reason. The mage helped build houses out of older trees that had toppled over in heavy storms and built traditions out of hard work and giving to each other as a way to build trust in each other. And as a century passed by the mage grew too old to continue life and passed along his beliefs to the next leader of the village and the traditions continued to pass down from generation to generation.

The Prince looks adorably intrigued, palms flat against his thighs as he listens to Seogun’s speech and trying his best to absorb every word he can until the story is complete. And once the story comes to a close with Seogun’s final slurred words and aged smile, the Prince compliments him on such a wonderful retelling of the tale, thanking him for giving him the opportunity to learn about a village that the Prince most certainly wouldn’t know about otherwise, had his parents never agreed to bring him down for the festival in the first place. Seogun thanks him for the beautiful display of roses, and the tradition is complete.

“Hwanwoong you never told me your village was founded by a mage!” The Prince grips onto his arm, excitement once again radiating from his bright smile and even in the early moonlight Hwanwoong can see just how bright that smile is. He rambles on about how excited he is to just be outside of the castle walls for once, how he has always wanted to visit new places and meet new people, about how he wondered if people outside of nobility were just as boring as the people in nobility. Hwanwoong only listens to the Prince, guiding him down to the outskirts of the village, just far enough away from the crowd of people to catch a breath of air and be alone to gather their thoughts.

The rest of the night should only contain winding down activities such as dancing for the courted couples and cleaning up the leftover things left behind by the kids as they scamper off to bed. It’s the perfect time for the two to be alone for a moment, a perfect moment for Hwanwoong to get to understand and know the Prince just a little bit more. He does exactly that, starting off with nothing too extreme but enough to get the ball rolling. “Have you ever looked at the stars at night?”

“Sometimes.” The Prince looks up at the stars as Hwanwoong asks, once perfectly styled hair loosening up from the gravity pulling it down, slight curls falling out into straighter strands. His shirt is slightly dirty, small paint stains visible, though in the darkness Hwanwoong can’t make out which colors are exactly dotted along the white fabric. “I used to do it a lot more when I was younger, you know? One of the advisors, Youngjo, and I would sit out on the grass and point out which constellations we can see from where we were. He used to teach me a lot about the meanings of the constellations, about why we can only see certain ones and why the Kingdoms to the South and West could see others.”

Hwanwoong hums, leaning onto his right hand as he uses his left hand to point out one of the brighter stars in the sky. “My father used to say the stars represent people, and the one that always looms just above this village is supposedly the mage who founded it, and he watches over us like some kind of space guardian. I always thought it sounded like a fairytale.”

“Do you believe in fairytales? Like those ones about knights slaying dragons, or pixies living in the woodlands that surround the west side of the castle?”

He wants to tell the Prince what he sees in the realm. Hwanwoong wants to tell the Prince what nightmares look like, what he has to hunt down and kill, but it’s one of the things he can’t say. Even if he wanted to, it’s a strict rule that Nightmare hunters must vigilantly follow: never tell anyone what nightmares you hunt or what they look like. Instead, Hwanwoong shakes his head. “I grew out of it when I was younger. Children’s stories are that way to scare them into listening.”

“You sound like you’re an adult yourself. What are you, fifteen?”

“Yes.” Hwanwoong hasn’t felt offended about his age before, yet the way the Prince talks about it makes him question just about everything he knew about being fifteen. In the village, fifteen is the age where kids grow up and become independent, working their own jobs and earning their own money, they can go hunting on their own without an adult hunter, they can even begin courtship and finding their own future partners to have eventually families with. Fifteen in the village gets a lot of privileges, and in a lot of ways, makes a child an adult. Maybe things work differently for the Royal family and the nobility. “Why?”

“I’m not even allowed outside of the castle walls without some kind of escort or unless I’m with my parents.”

“Isn’t that for your safety though?”

“What safety if you’re only going to the town just some miles from the walls.” The Prince huffs, kicking his legs out until they’re fully outstretched, leaning back on the palms of his hands and looking up at the sky once again. Hwanwoong feels bad for assuming things, so out of touch with how things work for the Prince, but can he really be at fault when he’s never been around the sort of thing in the first place?

The night time drags on, the two sitting in silence, comforting and not awkward and Hwanwoong almost drifts off to sleep until he hears the voice of the King, jolting awake and standing up as quickly as he could to address him properly. The Prince stands up less quickly, brushing off his pants and mumbling a quick greeting to his father. “It is about time we head home, Keonhee.”

The Prince nods, catching up his fathers quickly leaving pace, only stopping for a second to turn back and wave goodbye to Hwanwoong, who shares the same goodbye wave. A wave of sadness washes over him as he joins the crowd of the villagers who wave off the Royal family and thank them for joining their festival, and then they’re off, disappearing into the nighttime. The festival continues for the night, nothing short of the usual traditions, and Hwanwoong joins his parents again with Seoho, who has decided to stay the night with them. Seoho’s presence gives Hwanwoong just a twinge of happiness, but he can’t help but miss the Prince the longer the night continues.

—

Autumn weather in the village is one of the few things Hwanwoong has always appreciated. The cooler wind pulling the leaves off the trees as the weather change causes their color to change and the official change from lightweight fabric to thicker cloth that Hwanwoong particularly prefers, mostly because it gives him the opportunity to wear turtlenecks and his long coat. His birthday passed a few weeks ago, officially sixteen and apparently now the same age as the Prince, who’s birthday had been earlier in the summer. The family haven’t visited since the summer festival, likely busy with the coronation ceremonies which should begin to take place by the winter, and Seoho’s visits have slowed down as Hwanwoong’s training becomes less necessary. 

Hwanwoong’s hunting skills have grown sharper in the matter of two months, and the Nightmare demons he’d encountered recently have only gotten stronger. His father is close to retiring from the family name, power growing weaker as his body ages more with the passing time. It’s only a matter of months now before Hwanwoong takes the name officially, becoming the head of the family and taking on the full power, and it’s only a matter of months before he meets other Nightmare hunters, of which Seoho has promised to chaperone his first few meetings.

Still, all of the family stuff has only guided Hwanwoong’s thoughts to wander off toward the Prince once again. Even his dreams have been filled with the Prince, mostly just memories from the festival, though a few times he has pictured the Prince and him at the beach bordering the ocean, all on their own with no responsibility to a kingdom or a family name, just two kids looking at the ocean waves and waiting for the sunset.

It isn’t until the sixth day of December, and long after the wonderful autumn weather that an opportunity to see the Prince again falls into his lap. It comes in an offer given to him by Seoho, a chance to stay in the town with him for a few months, just until the official coronation festival for the Prince, and allowing him to finish his training with Seoho so the burden isn’t all on his father. Initially, his father declines such an offer, complaining about exposing Hwanwoong to the noble life and how he could lose the value of the village life and tradition in such a short amount of time. Though through almost a day of convincing, Seoho manages to get his father to say yes and Hwanwoong’s stuff is packed and his goodbyes are said, leaving the village just a mere three days after the offer was first laid on the table.

The trip to the town takes them only a few hours, surprising to Hwanwoong, who’d figured it take them somewhere between a day or day and a half. Seoho sleeps through most of the trip, seeing as they got into the carriage at sunset, and the trip took them into the early hours of the morning. Hwanwoong is too excited to get even a small amount of sleep, preferring to watch the darkness of their surroundings and counting the number of times they hit harsh bumps in the uneven road.

By the time they arrive the sun is just beginning to rise, still soft enough that it doesn’t hurt the eyes. Seoho stirs once the carriage stops, taking a few moments to wake himself up and he gets out first, helping Hwanwoong to step out and ordering their bags to be taken to his house at once. Hwanwoong finally gets the chance to look around the town, in awe of the cobblestone architecture and high pointed roofs, lined with metal piping. Even the windows look vastly different from the ones in his village, textured with some pattern that makes them hard to see through. The roads are nicely lined with stones and the paths are made of bricks, neatly stretching around the buildings, signs describing the different shops they pass as Hwanwoong follows Seoho around.

“Are you hungry?” When Hwanwoong nods eagerly, Seoho drags him into a little shop, where the smell of pastries and bread fill his senses and strengthening the rumbling of his stomach. He’s given range to pick anything he wants, and he spends a good amount of time looking through the various amounts of sweets and breads and even passing by the drinks a few times, in awe of the names of the food and wondering how anything so fancy and delicate looking could even be eaten. Eventually he settles on a slice of fruit bread, mouth practically watering when he gets the chance to properly smell it.

Seoho pulls him out of the shop, urging him to finish the bread before they arrive to his house, which according to him is only a few minutes away. Hwanwoong wastes no time eating, taking every opportunity to look around and admire the town. He wonders why his father could give up living in such a place like this, how he didn’t find the beauty of the town or if he did how he was able to resist it. 

“If you’re done sightseeing, Hwanwoong, we’re here.” Hwanwoong stops walking, brushing the bread crumbs off his hands as he looks up at the building in question. He’d never imagined Seoho to live in such a place, not that there’s exactly anything wrong with the house. It’s rather small compared to the places they’d passed, and the style looks more modern compared to the older designs of the rest of the town. Nonetheless, Hwanwoong follows Seoho inside, where he’s greeted by a rather quaint atmosphere of several bookshelves filled with several volumes of mage books and Nightmare hunting history and fiction tales and even children’s books hidden in the corner shelf just beside a window. The furniture is nothing to be desired, probably passed down from his parents and too sentimental just to get rid of. 

“Your bedroom is the farthest in the back, hopefully your stuff is already in there.” Seoho pushes him toward the room, which Hwanwoong takes as a reason to leave Seoho to his weird living room and unpack his things.

The room is surprisingly big, with a bed tucked into one corner and a closet right beside it. There’s a bench in front of the window and a bookshelf that’s only partially full. Seoho and his damn bookshelves. His bags are set neatly on the floor just before the bed, and he wastes no time in unpacking them and reorganizing his stuff into their new temporary homes. His books live on the empty bottom shelf, tucked away from sight, his clothes folding up into a dresser in neat piles, leaving just his miscellaneous things to scatter around the desk inside the room for him. He admires the softness of the bed, folding out his quilt to pattern the foot of it. Boredom catches hold of Hwanwoong rather quickly, and before he realizes it he’s scribbling in the journal he brought with him, writing down nonsense about the trip and his first experiences with the town. He doesn’t even realize Seoho’s entered the room until he finally sets his pen down and looks up. “Getting settled?” Hwanwoong gives him a short yes, hoping that it would be enough for him to leave and let him continue writing without interruption. “We gotta hunt tonight, Hwanwoong. Don’t waste too much of your energy here.”

As excited as he may be to hunt, he was hoping that perhaps Seoho would give him a full day to get accustomed to the new town, learn about the way noble life runs and the little dos and don’ts of living in such a prestigious place. Hwanwoong spends the day mulling about the new space, fiddling with just about everything that also claims the room as home, even opening a few of the books from the top shelf and skimming through them until he gets bored of even doing that, eventually giving up to stare through the window until inevitably he’s tired of doing that too.

From his window he can see the castle, much closer to him where he is now compared to view from his village home. Hwanwoong can almost make out the vines crawling up the stone walls, and if he focuses enough he can even make out the dead leaves that hang on just barely, waiting for one gust of the cold winter air to free them at last. In the hours that Hwanwoong should’ve spent sleeping he instead got himself acclimated to the new space, reorganizing things to his liking and breaking in the new furniture to him. His hours of precious sleeping time dwindles away slowly and Hwanwoong learns that if he doesn’t pay attention the clock the time goes by quicker, and the next time he dares to peer out the window he finds that the sun is beginning to set, and Seoho is already awake, roaming the main room of the house, likely waiting for Hwanwoong to prepare himself for the night.

Hwanwoong decides to prepare himself for the trip to the realm, not looking for the teleportation there. Still unused to it, it always takes him a few seconds to readjust to the new atmosphere, a mixture of fog and gravity lighter than the earth. Seoho turns around to face him, and without a word Hwanwoong takes Seoho’s arm and prepares himself for shift. The realm isn’t exactly scary, and he’s even heard of hunters preferring to stay in it, despite the Nightmares they could encounter.

He dares to open his eyes once he feels Seoho pull his arm from his grip, the realm particularly foggy and unlike the last time he’d been there. His body surges with magic, and even if he tried hard to forget them, he could still recite the spells he has to use by heart. It’s not like he had a choice but to learn them however, engrained into his head since he was little as his mother read them to him as nighttime stories until he could recite them when asked. Seoho looks around first, taking a cautious step forward into the fog, shaking his head. “It’s not usual tonight.”

Either that is a good thing or a bad thing, though judging from Seoho’s unusually cautious steps Hwanwoong is tempted to believe the latter is true. It’s almost as if right on cue, Hwanwoong senses the ground below him shaking, jerking him out of his travel daze and bringing him back into his reality. The source of the the heavy footsteps is still unseen, but not unheard, as screaming can be heard just a distance away from where they stand. If the fog was just a little bit clearer he’s certain they’d be able to see the creature and maybe find a strategy to handle it.

Sometimes the more basic containment spells won’t work. Instead of defeating the Nightmares, they could only enrage them and cause a bigger issues than normal. It’s at the moment the fog lifts just for a moment that Seoho ventures further into it and the Nightmare in question finally appears before them. Surprisingly the Nightmare is smaller than the sounds it can create, reflecting itself in an almost childlike manner, nothing more than a four legged creature with the smallest of light in its eyes. Hwanwoong’s certainly seen worse, but looks aren’t an indicator of strength.

Seoho offers to take care of it instead, reciting a spell Hwanwoong is familiar with, one that treats child Nightmares gently, mostly used to pacify them until a secondary spell can turn it into nothing but a ball of energy. However, the Nightmare seems less than willing to fall for the trap, trashing its head and kicking up into the air. Oddly it reminds Hwanwoong of a scared horse, but with no reigns to pull and tame it the Nightmare runs off back into the depths of the fog, enticing the two for a chase. Hwanwoong stays planted in place, however, waiting for Seoho’s instruction. “I’ll go after this one, look around for any others.”

Hwanwoong heads out into another direction once Seoho’s back disappears from his view, the silence of the realm playing into his hearing, guiding him towards the sounds of the creatures. It’s a strangely quiet night, and anything else he’s previously come across dispel rather quickly, only requiring a bare minimum spell to defeat them. Another quick spell gets rid of them completely, Hwanwoong not needing the energy to replenish magic, at least not yet. He remembers the first time he’d eaten the energy, not really tasting anything but a feeling of disgust had washed over him and reorienting himself after took almost as long as adjusting to the travel. He wonders if Seoho likes the feeling of consuming Nightmares. Hwanwoong is probably one of the only hunters who don’t, and prefers to wait until the last minute to replenish his energy. 

A higher pitched scream startles Hwanwoong back into focus. He’s reached the end of the strange fog, now just a dark grey sky surrounds him, and just ahead of him is a creature of large stature. It is unlike anything he’s ever seen, so massive that Hwanwoong is certain his height only accounts for a small part of the entire creature. It isn’t human like or even childlike, bearing large wings and sharp taloned hands.

Hwanwoong stays a cautious distance away, unsure of just what it is, or what strength it holds. The screams it makes are bloodcurdling and terrifying, and he feels bad for whoever it’s attached to. It bears horns, too many to be a normal dragon Nightmare, varying in different lengths spaced out from a large one just in the center of its head, forming a crown shape as it wraps around the top of its head. Something connects them at the tips, possibly some kind of string or chain, nothing Hwanwoong can actually make out from the distance.

Somehow, curiosity grows onto him, pouring from the creature’s existence. It’s completely illegal, totally out of the question, but a small part of Hwanwoong yearns to learn more about the Nightmare, to understand just where it came from, just who it’s attached to. The wings snap shut, forcing a strong wind that almost knocks Hwanwoong from his standing, bringing him down to his knees for a brief moment until he regathers his balance. When he looks up again, he’s face to face with the Nightmare, who’s head it bent to meet him at eye level. Something is unnervingly familiar about the eyes, their childishly large size, and even in the dark Hwanwoong can tell they’re not quite brown, and full of curiosity. Nightmares aren’t passive creatures, and Hwanwoong knows he’s staring down the face of literal danger, but he’s so captivated by it that he can’t tear his eyes away, let alone perform any of the spells he’s supposed to.

Then the realization of what he’s looking at hits him. The Nightmare before him changes, perhaps only in Hwanwoong’s mind, and instead of an almost dragon-like form, it shifts into something oddly human-like. The eyes turn more human, shining in that curious concern that the Prince once looked at Hwanwoong with. He’s staring right into the manifest of the Prince’s nightmares.

He doesn’t get a lot of time to react before sharp talons strike at his body, just barely missing him as he manages to shake free of the stare. Hwanwoong pushes off the ground, trying to get any amount of distance that he can from the Nightmare, hoping that he can get just far enough away to cast a spell.

Unfortunately the distance he craves isn’t easy to come by. The creature is fast, too fast for him to outrun, catching up to him and screaming so hauntingly that if Hwanwoong weren’t so focused on getting away he’s certain it would’ve stopped him in place. He can hear the wings moving, bringing with the movement more wind that almost brings Hwanwoong to the ground again. Still he pursues, running back into the fog, hoping that it could make the Nightmare lose sight of him. However his hopes are as good as words, no action supporting them, and the last thing he remembers seeing is Seoho running toward him, yelling something Hwanwoong can’t quite make out as his body is knocked to the ground and a sharp talon pierces his side, and with it comes an indescribable amount of pain that he swears paralyzes the rest of his body, and the blood in his body is moving too fast, strength depleting by each shortening breath. He doesn’t remember the rest, except for feeling an extreme exhaustion, and his vision turns black, shutting him out from the realm altogether.

Hwanwoong wakes up with a pounding headache, no desire to open his eyes, and a strange numbness to the rest of his body. Still he ventures to open one eye, almost regretting it as he absorbs too much sunlight that feeds into his already pounding headache. He groans, lifting one heavy arm to cover his face with his hand, just thankful to actually be awake. Seoho’s sure to give him an earful about getting distracted, about letting the Nightmare overpower him. He’s really not ready to take on the family name, definitely still unprepared for the day he meets other families just like his own.

The Prince. He wonders just what a prince could have nightmares about. Is there something to nobility and royalty that Hwanwoong just doesn’t quite understand? Surely his books aren’t going to teach him everything, he’s aware of that. But something about the sheer size of the Nightmare he faced, the crown like horns, large wings strong enough to create strong winds, and sharp talons that can surely kill someone if they aren’t quick enough to dodge makes for a strong case of concern for the Prince’s wellbeing

The night in the realm reminds Hwanwoong that he definitely almost died doing the very thing his family is known for. His other hand moves to his side, tentatively touching at it and realizing that he isn’t even wearing a shirt, and the bandages he senses tells him that he certainly had a close encounter with death. Hwanwoong yelps as he pushes too hard, stirring a whole other type of pain, side throbbing immensely and almost beating his headache. His hand falls back onto the bed, and he dares to open his eyes once again. This time he isn’t greeted with harsh sunlight, and a familiar face smiles down at him

“You’re finally awake, Hwanwoong.” Seoho pulls up a chair to sit beside him, setting a glass of water on what Hwanwoong assumes is a table just outside of his vision, shaking his head. “How do you feel?

“Like I almost died.”

“I see that you’re still capable of being smart.” The other pulls out a package of _something_ , tearing open the top and grabbing Hwanwoong’s hand, pouring the contents into it. “Take it. It’ll help you feel better.”

Hwanwoong doesn’t reject the offer of feeling better, tossing the contents into his mouth and taking up the glass of water, drinking nearly all of it. “How many days has it been?”

“Only three. As soon as you were hit I defeated the Nightmare and brought you back here. Took you to an old friend’s, he fixed your wound there. He said to give you a few more days to rest, and then we can go back to my house.”

Hwanwoong sighs. “How bad was it?”

“He said you had a few broken ribs as a result of the talon, but mostly that you were lucky most of it had been the result of magic. You sure did bleed a lot, though.” Seoho pats his shoulder. “Don’t think about it too much, you’ll be up and moving within the next few days.”

He groans. The last thing he wants is to be stuck in bed for three days. Seoho seems to understand his frustration, offering to help him try and move around sometime later, after the medication kicks in, and Hwanwoong feels a little bit better about it. “Say, why were you so drawn to that Nightmare anyways?”

“It belonged to the Prince.”

Hwanwoong doesn’t have to look at Seoho to know the kind of look he’s receiving. It sounds so ridiculous when said aloud, how he could be so certain that the Nightmare belonged to the Prince without subjecting himself to seeing the same thing he was seeing that night. But it’s something his father’s told him since he was little, that manifestations of nightmares bear similar eyes to who its attached too, and Hwanwoong was certain those round eyes were similar to the Prince’s. “I see.”

The rest of the day is spent with Hwanwoong drifting in and out of sleep, being forced to eat something so that he could regain his energy, and when the sun finally sets outside Seoho comes in to offer Hwanwoong assistance in sitting up. It isn’t easy, his body stiff from sleeping in the same position for days, but with effort he manages to sit up, winded but thankful that recovery shouldn’t take him ages to get through. Seoho helps him to stand to his feet, allowing Hwanwoong to lean as heavily against him as he needs until he regains the muscle memory to stand on his own. “Not feeling a lot of pain, right?”

Hwanwoong shakes his head. It’s a complete lie. His side is on fire, and his legs are already sore from just standing there, and his head is starting to pound again. Seoho picks up on it all, helping Hwanwoong to sit back down, ruffling his hair briefly. “Don’t rush it, Hwanwoong.”

Yet that’s exactly what Hwanwoong wants to do, he’s already sick of laying down and forcing himself to be patient and wait for his body to be ready to continue normal activity. He tries to hide that he’s in a lot of pain, but it’s near impossible for him to get away with it around Seoho. “Okay. I’ll give it time.”

“You should get some more rest. We’ll try to do more tomorrow.”

Hwanwoong only remembers lying back down and closing his eyes, and then the next time they’re open it’s morning time, except the sunlight isn’t giving him an extreme headache and Seoho isn’t there to greet him. He sits up on his own this time, less effort needed than yesterday, and while his wound is giving him pain, it’s surprisingly dull compared to even last night. He doesn’t dare to stand up though, let alone walking, for the sake that he’d rather not be scolded for doing too much without supervision.

It isn’t Seoho that walks in to the room Hwanwoong is resting in this time, but rather what he assumes is Seoho’s friend, taller and more slender than him, though he appears more friendly. “It’s nice to see you finally sitting up on your own, Hwanwoong.”

“Are you the one that brought me back from the dead?”

The other laughs. “Something like that.” He takes a seat in the chair, setting down the supplies in his hand on the table. “Name’s Geonhak.”

“Wait you’re changing the bandages?”

“There’s already blood on the ones you have right now, of course I’m going to be changing them.” Hwanwoong lets Geonhak cut open one side of the wrapping, trying his best to not look down, but curiosity gets the better of him and he takes a look at his own chest, realizing just how _lucky_ he is.

The gash spans across almost all of his chest, though the deepest part of it is just at the end of where his ribs are located, several stitches keeping it from bursting back open. Hwanwoong isn’t as disgusted as he thought he would be, but it still isn’t the most pleasant thing. However, the worst part of it is Geonhak cleaning it, causing the skin to burn and itch, but Hwanwoong fights all urges and tries to stay as still as possible, even refusing to laugh when the new bandages tickle him. “You’re really lucky, you know.”

“Seoho’s been telling me the same thing.” Hwanwoong sighs.

Geonhak hands him a dress shirt, which Hwanwoong puts on carefully as to not disturb his freshly dressed wound, thanking the other for it, and then Geonhak leaves him to be alone for a little bit, off to make breakfast for the three of them which only confirms to Hwanwoong that Seoho is likely still asleep. He lets the time pass as it had for the past day, sitting with his eyes closed and thinking about anything other than his current situation. When he opens his eyes again his eyes land on the door opening and Seoho walking in, offering to help him to walk out from the room.

With difficulty, Hwanwoong manages to stand unassisted, but walking is another challenge, of which he doesn’t even try to attempt, relying on Seoho to guide him from the bedroom into the main room, where an array of breakfast dishes are set out on the table, Geonhak waiting for the two of them patiently. Hwanwoong sits in a previously pulled out chair, glancing around at the amount of food, growing hungrier by the moment.

They fall into a quiet breakfast, enjoying the food before them and leaving the conversations for after. It’s when Geonhak is putting everything in the kitchen to be washed that Seoho starts a conversation. “I was at my place the other day, while you were resting here, and received an interesting letter.”

Hwanwoong’s interest is definitely piqued. “What kind of letter?”

“An official letter from the royal family, inviting you and I to the castle for a day.” A day in the castle, where Hwanwoong will have to face the Prince, who’s nightmare is the reason he is in such a bad condition. He’ll have to face him once again, for the first time in months. So what exactly could go wrong?

Turns out, many things could go wrong. It begins with Hwanwoong being not fully healed, though Geonhak promises that it shouldn’t hinder this one day visit too badly, and reminding him to just take things easy and avoid anything too extreme. Hwanwoong doesn’t feel exactly up to the travel to the castle, which admittedly is only a few hours, too tired from just learning how to go about daily life with a horrible, literal pain in his side. The trip there is thankfully smooth, except for the few bumps they do hit which happen to jostle him just enough to stir a new bout of pain and give him extreme discomfort.

The second problems is seeing the Prince face to face. How exactly is Hwanwoong supposed to react with a slowly closing gash across his chest caused by the physical form of a Nightmare the Prince had been subjected to? Surely Seoho could’ve provided him with some much needed coaching or assistance, or maybe call on one of his special doctor friends to provide him some much needed coping mechanisms. However, Hwanwoong is thrust into the situation abruptly, seeing as the Prince is there to greet them the very moment their carriage pulls in, and when it comes to a halt they are ushered out to give a formal greeting.

The Prince has certainly grown taller than the last time they’d met, and his clothes are thankfully more casual, with the only extravagant garment being the coat he wears to protect his upper body from the cold air. His nose is a cute shade of pink, matching with the tips of his ears and the color stands out from his paler skin complexion. His eyes haven’t changed much, and for a moment that Hwanwoong looks into them he’s reminded of the Nightmare with the same eyes, and it takes Seoho’s words to pull him from falling back into that night.

Hwanwoong doesn’t have the time to warn the Prince of his condition before he is pulled into a hug, squeezing just a little to harshly on his injury and sending a new wave of pain through his whole body. He can’t help but cry out, finally gripping him by the shoulders and push the Prince away, clutching onto his side as if that would even help the pain to stop. “Oh my goodness, are you alright?”

The worry hits Hwanwoong hard, heart skipping a few beats as he struggles to reassure him and let him know that it’s okay, that he isn’t dying but just in a great deal of pain. “Just a little injury I got while hunting, it’s okay.” Hwanwoong shakes his hand in the air as the Prince reaches out to help him. “Nothing to worry about. Just can’t do anything too much.”

“I’m so sorry, I should’ve waited for you to say something.”

“It’s alright, my Prince.”

The Prince sighs. “You still haven’t dropped the formality, have you?” But the Prince leaves it alone, pulling Hwanwoong by his arm (this time more gently, and the arm that isn’t on his injured side), Seoho falling behind the two of them as they enter the castle.

It’s even more grand in person, the walls standing several feet above all of them, stained glass windows bringing in slightly colored sunlight, patterning the rug and wooden floors below their feet, and kingdom flags hung high up from the rafters, flowing only as the door behind them closes. The Prince points out various hallways and what they lead to, even pointing out the throne room and ballroom, but ultimately leading them toward a large courtyard of sorts, where the King and Queen are present, also in more casual wear and enjoying themselves. Hwanwoong manages to tear his arm away from the Prince, awaiting Seoho’s guidance before making any conversation.

“It’s nice of you two to accept our invitation. Please, come sit for a second.” The Queen gestures them over, which the three obey and Hwanwoong finds himself seated between the Prince and Seoho.

“If I may ask, what is the reason for this visit?” Seoho sits in a posture Hwanwoong has only seen him do a few times before, so proper compared to how he would be with Geonhak for Hwanwoong’s family.

“We wanted to discuss with you about your jobs.” The King sets down his cup, which Hwanwoong hadn’t noticed he was even holding until his fingers let go of it and leave it on the table. “We don’t have an official, as you call it, hunter, on our court, and we were wondering if there would be some benefit to sharing a spot with your people.”

Something about the way the King avoids bringing up their official titles reminds Hwanwoong that while they are particularly useful, Nightmare hunting families aren’t always treated as such. Sure they can claim spots of nobility, and earn their names in history books and myths, but the majority of people still fear crossing them. Seoho isn’t shy about how his old village treated his family, and Hwanwoong _is_ lucky that the village he grew up in are kind people, understanding and thankful for his family’s presence. The town, while Hwanwoong hasn’t had the chance to exactly look around, seem to be rather cautious of Seoho and him, preferring to keep their conversations and interactions short. The King seems to be no exception to this strange avoidance.

“There is no need to fear us, your majesty. Nightmare hunting families are kind, after all.” Seoho smiles, one Hwanwoong has only seen two times before, not exactly warm or welcoming, entirely fake, carrying the frustration that the two of them are already feeling. “As for an official position in your court, I’m not sure what benefit you would have from it. Families do things differently, and my experiences and intellect will only provide you knowledge for a few of us, not the entire population of hunters.”

The King’s face hardens into an expression of frustration, more visible than either Hwanwoong’s or Seoho’s. If Hwanwoong were a bit younger, perhaps he would fear the expression being used on him a little bit more. However, he remains as still as possible, allowing for Seoho to speak for them. “It is in my understanding that the magic and energy you use is only available in the realm in which you hunt in, is that correct?”

“For the most part, your majesty. Hunters can access their magical abilities in the world as well, though we are strongest in our element. Are you perhaps scared of us using it against your ruling?” Seoho shakes his head. “Because if that is the reason you want one of our families on your court, to show that we have an ally in you, it would not work out as you may have hoped or planned.”

Hwanwoong almost shivers. Seoho’s words are so carefully thought out, despite the nature of his usual speech being casual and unplanned, and the threats woven throughout are just subtle enough that Hwanwoong isn’t sure the King caught on to them. “Very well.”

The silence that falls over them is surprisingly comfortable, and Hwanwoong wants to thank whoever helped in creating it. The Prince shifts in his seat, probably the most uncomfortable of all of them. “Well, seeing as we might not come to an agreement, I suggest we come up with a compromise at a later date. To spare your troubles in traveling here, how about you two stay for dinner? I’m sure Keonhee is excited to catch up with his village friend, and Youngjo can treat you to whatever you please.” The King smiles, dismissing the three of them and Hwanwoong doesn’t hesitate in standing up, still cautious about his wound.

It isn’t until they’re a safe distance away from the King that Seoho vents his frustration. “What a fucking ridiculous thing to ask of two separate Nightmare hunting families.” The Prince startles. “I’m sorry for my father… There has been rumors that a few families have been creating more chaos in the outskirts of the kingdom, and he isn’t sure how to deal with them.”

“Well an ally on his court isn’t going to fix that, it would only make it worse.” Seoho sighs, rubbing his temples. Hwanwoong watches him, trying to figure out at which state he is in, and when he might explode.

“Is there nothing at all that we can do about it?” The Prince steps forward, but Hwanwoong holds him back, shaking his head. “I’m sorry that he upset you, Seoho.”

“It’s fine. Just— it’s fine. How about you two go and catch up with each other? I’m going to calm myself down.”

Hwanwoong allows himself to be pulled away by the Prince, just hoping that Seoho doesn’t get himself into any kind of trouble while the two are separated. It isn’t until they reach another outdoor area in another part of the castle that the two talk again. “Seoho seems adamant that nothing can change.”

“Because nothing _can_ change. Not unless some serious fixing is done, and by that I mean some serious understanding the work that his family, my family, and any other hunter family does is not going to harm the non magic people.” Hwanwoong doesn’t like to get angry, but something about the way the royal family speak about hunting makes him want to explode. “As Seoho said, one ally in your court isn’t going to stop those outskirt families from rising up. It’ll just make them angrier.”

Hwanwoong has only heard about the outskirt villages. He’s never been to them, but his father has met with the people there and he’s always telling stories about the way the world works for them. It’s much different from his village, from even the nobility that are closest to the kingdom, the people shun them like outcasts, and even mages aren’t welcomed. The Prince mumbles another sorry, ticking Hwanwoong off but he decides to let it go. “How long are you in the town?” The Prince sounds small, so unbearably small.

He’s scared of making Hwanwoong more upset, which in turn _does_ make him upset, but more at himself for causing the Prince any concern. “Just until the spring, when I officially take the family name and my father retires from hunting.

“What do you guys do after you retire?”

“Live.” Hwanwoong sits down on the wall of a fountain, glancing around at the frozen plants and trees. He bets it all looks beautiful in full bloom, vibrant colors creating an abstract array of life and certainly an attack on his allergies. So maybe he’s better off not seeing it in full bloom, less sneezing involved this way. “Life doesn’t really begin for us until after our job in the other realm is done, you know?”

“Isn’t it worth living to be in that realm?” The Prince joins him in sitting, glancing over at him. “I mean your magic is specific to that job, isn’t it living?”

“It’s more like war.” Hwanwoong’s side throbs promptly, and even though he tries his hardest to hide the pain from his face, he knows the Prince catches on. “Even the best get hurt or killed by that realm, it’s a game of chance in there. You never know what Nightmares you face.”

“You sound like an adult.”

“In many ways, I think I am one.” Hwanwoong sighs. “I didn’t have quite a childhood, Keonhee. It was fil—“

“Wait.”

“What?”

The Prince smiles. “Nothing, it’s just that you called me Keonhee, finally.”

Hwanwoong roll this eyes. Of course the Prince would find it cute to hear Hwanwoong slip in formality, but some part of him liked saying his name too. Keonhee. _Keonhee._ It should come to no surprise that Hwanwoong’s dreamed of saying the name to his face before, intentionally and without regretting it. “ _Anyways,_ as I was saying—“

The Prince interrupts him again. “Say it again.”

“What? Why?”

“I want to hear it coming from you.”

“Keonhee?”

“Say it with more confidence.” Hwanwoong stares at the Prince, completely dumfounded, surprised that he’s simply sitting there with the biggest grin on his face, eyes shimmering with a happiness that Hwanwoong is determined to see remain there. So he plays along with him. “Keonhee.”

“See, it’s not that hard to say it, right?”

“Yeah sure Keonhee— you’ve distracted me.”

“Were you gonna tell me you trained a lot in your childhood?” When Hwanwoong nods, the Prince looks away. “I trained a lot of my childhood too. It takes a lot of work, to be a King and run a Kingdom. Ever since I could walk my father had me practicing sword fighting and aiding him with King duties, and each year he’d push me further into making decisions for myself. Youngjo advised that he slow down my training, given that I shouldn’t take the throne until I’m older but…”

“But…?”

The Prince hums. “My father is getting weaker. Those years of war with… with people have started to wear on his body. Youngjo has a strange kind of magic, but it can only heal him so much, you know? My coronation is only happening because my father needs to official hand over some of his duties to me.”

“Is coronation different from courtship?” Hwanwoong notices the change in the atmosphere around them, how the air gets thicker, how similar it feels to the realm. It’s not particularly possible for Nightmares to enter their world, to appear in front of humans, but if one is particularly strong enough, it could break through.

“Coronation just announces to the people that I am the official ruler. But there will be a special condition, which is that my father is still helping make decisions.”

“Kind of like joint power?”

“Sorta. It should only last a few years and then I will fully take over.” The Prince stands up. “Come here, Hwanwoong.”

“Why?”

“I want to dance.”

“Without music? A-And in this courtyard? My Prince I don’t quite—“ Hwanwoong’s body is pulled from its seat by one strong tug at his arm, and then he is standing two inches from the Prince, who’s left hand falls naturally to Hwanwoong’s waist. His own left arm is pulled into the air by the Prince’s right, and suddenly he’s trying to keep up with the Prince’s footsteps, deceivingly simple in their basic movements, but Hwanwoong’s never danced before. 

“Stop focusing on your feet and look at me.”

“Because that makes a lot of sense.” Hwanwoong gasps when the Prince moves them away from one place and to the next, and he decides to believe him for one moment, lifting his head from his feet to look Keonhee in the eyes.

“You’ve never danced before, have you?”

“Am I that obvious?”

The Prince laughs. “Only a little.” Yet the Prince pulls him through several rotations of dancing, making their way through the courtyard in such an intimately close manner, fingers locked together and occasionally Hwanwoong has to push away just to avoid stepping on the Prince’s feet. He wonders what happened to the previously thick atmosphere, how in just a few short minutes everything had gone away, evaporated into the clouds above their heads. “I have a question, Hwanwoong.”

“What is it?”

“Would you be my official partner during coronation? You know… someone to have beside me and keep me from exploding in stress? Maybe someone I could start the first dance with?” Their own ballroom dancing stops there, Hwanwoong too stunned to actually back away. The Prince lets him go slowly, starting with untwining their fingers, taking a few steps backward and eventually his left hand falls to his side. “Think about it at least, would you?”

“Okay.” Hwanwoong nods, forcing a smile. “Let me think about it.”

It’s after dinner that Hwanwoong and Seoho are shown their rooms for the night. Seoho is thankfully at a much calmer state now, recovered from the previous disaster in forming an ally with the King, only mentioning something about getting to see a whole other side of literature and how it surprisingly kept him from walking out. Hwanwoong is yet to tell Seoho about the Prince’s proposal, though he’s sure that by telling someone else it wouldn’t eat him alive like it currently is. Seoho has said goodnight to him already, having already helped in changing the bandages of his wound and cleaning it for him.

Hwanwoong really tries to fall asleep, to forget about the question until the morning when he can ask Seoho on their way back to the town. But a fitful few hours draws him out of bed and his feet bring him to wandering the castle. He vaguely remembers a balcony just some few minutes away from their rooms, and the fresh air entices him to walk that direction. His side is killing him, but he ignores it for the time being.

The view from the balcony is stunning. The stars filling the sky above him twinkle and if he looks hard enough he can just make out the constellations, which are slightly different from how he sees them back home. The air is cold, much colder than the morning, though Hwanwoong doesn’t mind it exactly. His shirt is just enough warmth for him, and he doesn’t intend on sleeping out on the balcony for the whole night, just to stay out long enough to bring exhaustion over his body.

Apparently he isn’t the only one who can’t sleep tonight, as a few minutes into his solidarity he hears footsteps, which accompany a tired looking Prince, in perhaps some of the frilliest night clothes Hwanwoong’s ever seen. It’s even complete with what he can only presume are the world’s finest silk ribbons tying the front closed, neatly pulled together with a bow at the neck line. He looks absolutely ridiculous. “Can’t sleep either?”

“I can’t stop thinking.” The Prince takes place next to him, propping his elbows onto the railing of the balcony, staring out with Hwanwoong. Hwanwoong isn’t sure how to approach a conversation with the Prince, seeing as the very reason he can’t sleep is because of the question proposed to him earlier.

The Prince strikes the conversation for him, first turning his head and studying Hwanwoong. “Still thinking about what I asked you earlier?”

“Little bit.”

“You know… I can’t stop thinking about the coronation. I mean… I’m only sixteen, I barely know how to run a whole kingdom and I definitely can’t live up to my father’s name.”

“Who said you had to?” Hwanwoong looks at him. “Why don’t you be your own King?”

“It’s not that easy, Hwanwoong.”

“Sure it is. You are his successor, no one said his rule was perfect, so why don’t you just improve on his flaws and be your own King?”

“I don’t think I can.”

The Prince sighs, taking a seat on the ground. Hwanwoong follows, glancing at him, waiting for some kind of sign or reason to believe that the Prince is alright, but nothing comes. In fact, he finds it hard to read the Prince at all, so closed off and quiet and the only thing Hwanwoong knows about him is that his Nightmares are killer, literally. “I don’t think I’m cut out to be a Prince, let alone a King.”

“Keonhee…”

“I wish my parents had a second son, or were willing to find a different heir, or maybe—“ He wipes his eyes. “Hwanwoong haven’t you ever felt like you weren’t good enough to take your family name? That maybe you aren’t cut out to be a Hunter after all?”

“Well… That’s different—“

“How is it? We’re both taking over the family name, we have a reputation and a future to uphold, how is it any different?”

“Forget it.” The Prince’s head falls onto Hwanwoong’s shoulder, just as defeated as the rest of him, too tired from it being so late. “Stargazing with someone else is kinda nice.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve always done it by myself, or maybe with my mom on the rare occasion.” The Prince hums. “Hwanwoong, I’ve been meaning to ask you if you were injured?”

Hwanwoong should’ve known the Prince isn’t as dense as the fairytales say princes’ are. He thinks over about a dozen ways to tell the Prince, to explain to him that he’s injured because of his family magic. A dozen ways to tell him that the Nightmares he’s been having are horrible manifestations, demon and dragon-like, and very difficult to tackle down. He doesn’t want to worry the prince, doesn’t want him to think that it’s his fault that Hwanwoong is injured, because really it isn’t. It’s whatever is causing the nightmares, be it stress or fear or just about anything, that caused the Nightmare to be as powerful as it was.

“I was hunting and got distracted.”

So it isn’t exactly a lie. Not the best excuse either, and he hopes that Keonhee doesn’t pry him for any further details, because Hwanwoong still needs months to figure out the right way to tell him, if he decides to tell him at all. It’s not something you can simply share with anyone, after all. Especially not something to share with the person the Nightmare was ever attached to, all that does it make it come back, and worse than ever (if the person can’t handle the imagery, that is.) “Can I see it?”

Dumfounded, Hwanwoong asks the most obvious question in the world: “See the injury?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re weird.”

“Is that weird? Do you guys not like, show those off?”

“No?”

The Prince huffs. “That’s kind of lame.”

“They aren’t battle scars, Keonhee. They’re signs that someone’s Nightmare is dangerous and the Hunter wasn’t properly prepared for that.” When he looks over at the unimpressed prince, Hwanwoong reluctantly pulls his shirt up, revealing the bandaged wound across his chest. The Prince gasps, deep and full of concern, which is enough for Hwanwoong to pull his shirt back down and stand back on his feet. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay.”

Keonhee stands up to be beside him, looking up at the night sky, arms hanging off the edge just slightly. Hwanwoong doesn’t remember when he feels tired, only really remembering that he said goodnight to Keonhee some time before they separated ways for the night, and he remembers crawling into the bed, burrowing into the blankets to warm his freezing body, and falling into a dreamless sleep, where the morning sun would wake him from, and their journey back to the town would begin. Hwanwoong does not give the Prince a verbal goodbye, only linking pinkies with him as he promises to be his partner for the coronation, and a mental reminder to himself that he needs to practice his dancing severely if he wishes to not embarrass himself in front of the inevitably large crowd of noblemen.

It’s back at the town that Hwanwoong realizes the severity of making a promise with the Prince, knowing full well that now he cannot back out of it, and breaking his promise might as well be breaking his heart. Over the weeks of harsh winter and waiting for the official coronation invitation Hwanwoong’s injury heals over, until it is nothing but a pink scar spanning his side, thicker in the spots where the Nightmare’s talon had cut deeper, and now that it no longer hurts he’s back to Hunting, treading on the side of caution as he spearheads any Nightmare in his path with a newfound strength and desire to never go through the same problem again.

He’s even made time to practice dancing, which is surprisingly something that comes easy to him, probably aided by the years of nimble practice on his feet during his training in the realm. Hwanwoong even likes to consider himself now decent enough to properly dance with the Prince, though Seoho likes to make jokes that he’ll still step on his foot at least once.

Seoho treats Hwanwoong to a tailor’s visit, where he’s measured and fitted for a new outfit specific for the coronation, complete with the best of fabrics that they can afford and his favorite ruffled lace sleeves and long collar. It looks nothing like the clothes he’d wear to village celebrations, something completely new to him and somehow he thinks it’s even nicer, despite the closer fit and lack of comfortable shoes to be wearing. He’ll admit that deep blue is a wonderful color on him, though.

The invitations for the coronation come at the last few weeks of winter, set for the first day of spring, an all day long event where the official crowning happens as the sun sets on the castle, complete with a banquet and dancing and the warmest of greetings from the King and Queen. Hwanwoong even got his own personal invitation, complete with a signature from Keonhee himself, and if Hwanwoong were any other person he’d think it was a confession of love. The invitation extends out to his parents, though they had already denied the offer to go, preferring to stay out of it as much as they can.

He had told Geonhak about his dreams, about the flightless bird with broken wings. Geonhak had little insight, much like everyone else he’s told, but he provided a simple explanation for why the dream reoccured. “You need to help it fly.” Hwanwoong isn’t sure if the bird is meant to be himself, or if it’s supposed to be someone else he knows, but either way, he has no clue how to help it fly again. It’s not like he controls his dreams, or can enter the dream realm for himself.

Seoho is asleep when Geonhak pays a visit, though the former seems less than surprised to see Seoho on the couch, curled up in a blanket that Hwanwoong threw over him some two hours ago. Instead, Geonhak offers to be the one to take him up himself, telling Hwanwoong that it’s almost time to go, that he should go ahead and get dressed. Getting up from his previous spot in sitting on the chair of the kitchen, he heads into his room and pulls open the closet door, pulling out the new attire for the coronation. For a moment he can hear Seoho grumble about being woken up, choice words thrown at Geonhak, before ultimately his bedroom door closes.

Hwanwoong gets dressed mindlessly, wondering how Keonhee will be dressed for his big night, whether his nerves have calmed down since they’d last met. He knows his sure haven’t, mind still constantly reminding him of the conversation the two had shared before. He knows Keonhee means well, he hasn’t led Hwanwoong to believe otherwise, but his ascension to the throne is wildly different from Hwanwoong’s ascension to the family name. One is just a pass of the crown, the other is a pass of an entire reputation. Hwanwoong doesn’t have a lot of room to build on it himself, Keonhee has a lifetime to be more than his father’s son.

He buttons up his shirt and pulls on the vest, checking how he looks in the mirror. Unsurprisingly, he looks nothing like the people he grew up around, he looks like a nobleman, like he belongs to the town. He kind of hates it, preferring the long trench coat styles of his village, and the vibrant colors are definitely not his normal style. Hwanwoong knows he can’t change into something else now, he’d look severely out of place anyways, so he sucks it up and heads back into the main room, sitting back in his chair. His fingers rub on the fabric of his frilled sleeves, trying to calm down his nerves as best he can.

Seoho cleans up fast, appearing out of his room just a few minutes later, dressed in his finest and looking as if he didn’t just wake up from a four hour nap. Without a word shared between them, they get into their ride, and head to the castle. Hwanwoong has only read about coronations, and has never been to one in his life. For some reason though he can’t shake off his nerves, maybe it’s because he’s seeing the Prince again? Perhaps its meeting the King again after the last, rather strong argument he, Seoho, and the King shared. It could be the large group of noblemen too, perhaps other Hunters that Hwanwoong may know but will certainly know _more_ after his official appearance at meetings and eventually taking his family name.

He doesn’t want to think on it any longer, choosing to look out at the scenery around them as they get closer to the castle, admiring the early spring blooms and the greener grass, and the trees have grown their leaves back. It’s still chilly, though the last of the snow seems to have fallen just a few short weeks ago. The sun stays in the sky for longer, giving Hwanwoong more time to prepare himself for the realm.

It isn’t untrue that after your first injury from Nightmares you learn to dodge better. Hwanwoong’s skills sharpened quickly after his encounter with the Prince’s Nightmare, and he’s quicker to transform them, quicker to consuming them. Seoho is impressed at how well his skills improved in the few weeks following his attack. Hwanwoong is just glad to finally be as nimble on his feet as his father is, and maybe now he can stand a chance with the rest of the Hunters.

It reminds him that the beginning of April will mark his official ascension, the day his father will retire and the day Hwanwoong will take over. He feels too young for it, feels that sixteen might be too early to put such a burden on his shoulders, but Seoho reminds him each week that he did it all at fifteen, and that sixteen in plenty long enough, that Hwanwoong will be ready for it. Hopefully Seoho is right, though Hwanwoong hasn’t had to question his judgement yet.

They arrive at the castle shorter than Hwanwoong remembers the trip being, and the sun is about an hour out from setting. They got there just before the long coronation speech, just before the crown is officially passed to Keonhee, in one of the earliest and youngest successions yet. But the King is sick, years of war tearing down his body, and his horrible habit of delving into magic when he shouldn’t (Seoho learned about this through Youngjo, only passing the secret along to Hwanwoong long after they arrived back at his home).

Geonhak helps Seoho get out of the carriage, grabbing him by the waist and setting him back on his feet. Hwanwoong follows behind, though keeping himself at a distance, perhaps just to let the two be in their own little world. He doesn’t have to wait long to get his own company, however, as he’s greeted by the Prince the moment they walk through the door. “Hwanwoong! You look lovely tonight.”  


“It’s a big celebration.”

“Please, I have heard about it for the past four hours.” Keonhee pulls Hwanwoong into a hug, still cautious of his side and yet giving him a slight squeeze anyways, perhaps to tease him a little bit. “Come, I know a less crowded place where we can hide out until the ceremony.”

Hwanwoong has no choice, seeing as Keonhee grabs his wrist and pulls him along, dragging him through corridors and hallways until they reach a set of rooms, just up some crystalline staircases that at first feel like a dream, with their strange glassy exterior, except the closer they get to the floor they lead to, Hwanwoong understands their mystical appearance. The part of the castle they are in now feels like an indoor garden, vines and plants growing out of everywhere and even from the ceiling, various types of flowers blooming in little bushes, and Hwanwoong is certain he stepped into a fairy house. He even pinches his arm to make sure that he’s not dreaming, and that he’s still in the reality, wincing when the pinch in fact hurts him. “Only my family know about this part of the castle. My mother and I have been growing the plants here for years, ever since the walls were struck with an enemy weapon.”

Keonhee pulls him through the natural archway of branches, vines tickling Hwanwoong’s shoulders as he passes through it. Who knew that the most human person on Earth would have a magical garden inside a freaking castle? “This place is really beautiful. Looks like a painting.” Hwanwoong stops walking for a moment to just take in and admire the scenery.

“I come here sometimes to calm down. This hallway leads to stairs that lead to a pond.”

“I am going to get lost.”

“You have me.”

Keonhee turns his head, eyes reflecting the light coming from above them, faintest smile stretching his lips and softest blush coating his cheeks. Hwanwoong can feel his heart skip a beat, maybe even a few beats, impressed by the beauty of the Prince, how perfectly his secret garden frames him in his coronation outfit, a beautiful shade of royal purple complimented by the softest fur trimming on his cape, hair curled slightly and fingers delicately decorated with family jewelry. For a moment Hwanwoong swears his fingernails were painted, though he isn’t sure if its just the lighting playing a trick on his own eyes.

“Once we can’t see the sun, we need to head to the ballroom. We’ve got some time to talk to each other.” Keonhee sits down at a stair, patting the spot beside him. Hwanwoong sits too. “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“What I said to you the last time we met.” The Prince shakes his head. “I should’ve been more careful about what I said.”

“You were curious.”

“I was stupid. Why would anyone think you’d be proud of getting hurt?”

“You’re not the only one who’s asked Hunters.” Hwanwoong places his hand on Keonhee’s thigh. “It’s okay.”

“Okay.”

“You’re nervous.”

“I am, Hwanwoong. I thought that would be obvious.” Keonhee sighs, eyes closing in a moment of peace, a moment of silence. “I am really not ready for this.”

“I’ll be by your side.”

“That will be nice.”

The sun falls behind the walls faster than the two expected, or maybe it falls at the time they did expect it to, but they were too busy silently comforting each other to actually notice. Hwanwoong allows Keonhee to lead him back into the ballroom, where the majority of the people have now gathered, stragglers pouring in from the entrances. Hwanwoong parts with the Prince for the ceremony, taking place with Seoho and Geonhak. For some reason he feels shy upon rejoining their side, perhaps it’s just because of the sheer size of the court, or the presence of the King and Queen, who certainly noticed the two come in at the same time. Hopefully they pay no mind to that little detail.

The King silences the court, stepping forward to face his son, who looks more nervous than before. Hwanwoong wishes he could be there, just long enough to calm his nerves down, just being by his side could do the trick. But he has no place standing next to the Prince, he isn’t that worthy. The King begins his speech, and Hwanwoong partially zones it out, perhaps a little anxious himself from the vast amount of people. He catches a few words, mostly the ones Keonhee repeats as part of his Oath, in which he swears to protect the Kingdom, to protect the people of his Kingdom, and to deliver the law of their land unto everyone. Hwanwoong frankly finds the Oath to be a waste of time. But then again, Hwanwoong will have his own Oath when he takes his family name. The King takes the crown from his head, passing it to a priest, before bowing before his son. The rest of the court follow, including Hwanwoong, and once the crown is placed on Keonhee’s head, the former King says one final thing. “Please greet your new King, for he shall now officially sit on the throne of our wonderful Kingdom, and serve his people loyally.”

Keonhee bows to his people, so obviously overwhelmed by the eyes on him. But still, he gives his own speech, which Hwanwoong pays a little more attention to, because he feels like he owes Keonhee that much. “I shall serve in the place of my father, and serve this Kingdom with the same faith that he did, and I will continue to use his guidance to aid me until I am old enough to fully control the throne.”

That’s right. Keonhee’s official ceremony may have been today, but he’s still guided by the previous king. He is still only sixteen, still only a child. By the age of eighteen, he will likely be ruling alone. Hwanwoong watches Keonhee’s steps, waits until he officially calls for him to join in dance, and takes the King’s hand, surprised when he’s pulled even closer to him.

Keonhee leads, hand landing naturally on Hwanwoong’s waist, and as the music begins from the orchestra, Keonhee pulls him into a dance. It’s difficult for Hwanwoong at first, still not quite used to it all, but quickly he falls into the same rhythm as his partner, losing sight of the people around him and almost forgetting that he’s dancing with the new King.

Keonhee helps him lose track of the eyes watching them, and eventually Hwanwoong can feel that others have joined in, leaving them in the middle but no longer watching them, less attention on the pair. Still, Hwanwoong feels strange, feels that this dance doesn’t belong to him, that— “Hwanwoong.”

“What?”

“You stepped on my foot.”

Hwanwoong steps back instantly, mumbling a string of apologies, until Keonhee starts laughing and Hwanwoong stares at him, mouth open in utter confusion because _why_ is he laughing even though his foot was stepped on? “Wh—Why are you laughing?”

“Because you’re really cute.” Keonhee holds his hand back out. “You’re thinking too much and dancing not enough. Dance with me.”

“I have been.”

“Dance with me the way we did a few months ago.”

“Okay.” Hwanwoong joins Keonhee again, this time his attention is just on him, and his focus is on his clothes, his slightly off center collar, and so Hwanwoong goes to fix it, catching Keonhee’s slight smile as he does it, as his fingers curl into the soft velvet of his cape before undoing the clasp and adjusting it to center his chest. Their dances goes uninterrupted, as Keonhee's hands are there to steady Hwanwoong until he can hold onto Keonhee the way that he should.

They stop dancing the moment the song changes, as Keonhee claims his feet hurt from standing around all day and he needs a break from all of the people for another quiet moment to himself. Hwanwoong is okay with this, preferring to stay out of the center of attention as well. He doesn’t miss seeing Seoho and Geonhak dancing together, Geonhak’s hands clinging onto the lower part of Seoho’s waist, the other’s head resting on his shoulder. Perhaps he’s tired, not a surprise for Hwanwoong, seeing as he hasn’t exactly slept in a while. Too busy preparing for Hwanwoong’s upcoming meetings with Hunters.

Keonhee pulls something out of his pocket, a similarly colored purple velvet cloth, clearly wrapped around something. “Hwanwoong turn to me.”

Hwanwoong does, turning his upper body to face the King, watching the cloth in his hand as he pulls it away, revealing a rather shiny, rather gold pin—a broach actually—and Keonhee’s thin fingers pull the backing off, wrapping around the cloth of Hwanwoong’s vest, piercing it with the pin and pushing the back onto it, fastening it to the fabric. Keonhee smiles, fingers falling naturally from their previous position, and it’s in the warm lighting of the ballroom that Hwanwoong realizes his fingernails aren’t painted, but that they’re just naturally as pretty as they are, easily able to capture the light. “It’s a royal family pin, we only give them to important people.”

“Am I important to you?” Hwanwoong doesn’t ask the question for an answer, he asks the question because he wants to be sure he’s hearing Keonhee right. “I-I don’t think I’m worthy of having something like this…”

“You know a few months ago I said I felt weird… about becoming the King?” Keonhee’s fingers play with the fabric of Hwanwoong’s frilled sleeve, something he almost didn’t notice until he felt a tug on it. “Have you ever had feelings for someone?”

Hwanwoong feels uncomfortable— not because of what Keonhee is talking about, but because Keonhee’s parents are within earshot, and he feels the need to be very careful with what he says, so he does just that. “I’m not sure, Keonhee. I mean, we’re still young.”

“I don’t think it matters what age you are to know what feelings you have for someone.” Keonhee looks away, startling when he notices his parents behind them, and Hwanwoong feels more uncomfortable by the second.

Hwanwoong can almost taste the tension between Keonhee and his parents, and Hwanwoong is practically stuck in the middle, maybe not literally but certainly he is the filter between the two. His parents not only look less than pleased, stern expressions on their faces scaring Hwanwoong in a way he truly wishes he didn't have to feel every again. “Keonhee…”

“I need to go.” Keonhee gets up abruptly, fingers letting go of Hwanwoong’s hand, which he didn’t even noticed he’d been doing in the first place, and with a last moment goodbye, Keonhee disappears into the crowd again, followed by his parents.

Hwanwoong waits until Seoho and Geonhak return to him, feeling somewhere between a mix of heart broken and scared, holding back tears he doesn’t even know why he has in the first place, and he’s thankful that Seoho understands him quickly, because the older decides to pull them out of the main ballroom and into a quieter hallway, waiting out until they can return home, where Hwanwoong takes the pin off and tosses it onto his desk, falling asleep after a fit of crying that he still doesn’t understand why ever happened in the first place. He does hope that Keonhee is okay.

—

At the end of May Hwanwoong returns home to meet with his dad just before the final meeting where Hwanwoong takes the Oath to be the Yeo family Hunter, before his father’s official retirement. Hwanwoong hasn’t talked to Keonhee since his coronation, not that he figured he had to. He’s sure Keonhee’s parents have something in place to prevent that anyways.

Returning to the village after living in the town for so long feels drastically different. The people remained the same, except for getting older and having new residents, but the village itself is different. The buildings look different, the well looks different, the path is more worn in. Hwanwoong isn’t sure if maybe he’s just used to the town’s larger size overall or not, but he certainly feels the change.

His mother greets him with a hug first, refusing to let him go until he complains that he can’t breathe, and even then he still clings onto his arms, glassy eyed and smiling so big. “I missed you so much.”

“Missed you too, mom.” Hwanwoong smiles back, glancing around for his dad, who he has still yet to see.

Seoho and Geonhak accompanied Hwanwoong on his journey back, and though Hwanwoong did expect Seoho to join him, he was shocked Geonhak also requested to come, because he didn’t seem like the type to actually leave the town. However, his only reasoning is that Seoho likes to have company during Hunter meetings, and since the next one involves Hwanwoong’s Oath, he asked for extra company. If Hwanwoong is being honest, Seoho is being a little obvious.

Hwanwoong finally finds his father closer to the edge of the village, just beyond their home, just looking out at the sky. “I knew this day was coming, Hwanwoong, I just didn’t think it’d be so soon.” His father turns around to look at him. “Tonight, you swear Oath for the family name, and you become and official Hunter, and official member of the committee.”

“I’m not ready.”

“I wasn’t either, but I don’t think you can ever be ready.” His father pulls Hwanwoong closer, into a side hug. “You’ll only be as ready as you allow yourself to be.”

Hwanwoong spends the rest of the day getting ready, listening to his father’s stories of the Oath’s, how special they are, how Hwanwoong will always remember it. When it comes time, Hwanwoong slips the broach into the collar of his trench coat, a subtle way to keep Keonhee with him through an important moment, and then they are all off. The Oath takes place in a remote place, just outside of all of the Kingdoms, some hour and a half away from Hwanwoong’s home village. If they’re on time, they should get there by the first rays of moonlight, and the Oath can happen immediately, and Hwanwoong can tackle the realm on his own, as a test.

He feels rather sick to his stomach the entire ride to the location, clinging onto Seoho and playing with the broach to calm himself down. Hwanwoong isn’t sure why he feels so nervous when he’s spent his entire life waiting for this moment. Maybe it’s because it’s finally happening, or perhaps he’s just nervous to be nervous.

The location happens to be a pond surrounded by trees, and when they arrive they’re some of the last to get there, though still on time, surprisingly. His father pulls Hwanwoong to the center of the circle of Hunters, a sum of some of the best around. The outskirt Hunters usually don’t attend, preferring to keep to themselves in their own little groups, and right now Hwanwoong is actually thankful that it is that way.

“Are you ready?” The question is ridiculous, but they have to begin it now, as the moonlight perfectly hits them, and Hwanwoong prepares himself the best that he can.

Seoho is cuddled into Geonhak, probably still tired from the constant lack of sleep he’s been experiencing over the past few months. Hwanwoong almost wishes he didn’t come at all, and had just slept through the entire thing, but knowing Seoho he’d say no to the proposition, and would come no matter who told him he shouldn’t. It is an important night, and Hwanwoong is certain Seoho wouldn’t miss it for any reason at all.

He recognizes a few of the other Hunters, typically just from the meetings Seoho took him too. The meetings feel rather boring now, in comparison to what’s happening tonight. Where Hwanwoong had to sit through boring politics and territory disputes because for some reason certain families feel the need to control certain parts of the realm, tonight is a night where all of them unite together to welcome a new official Hunter to the committee, and all rivalries are pushed aside.

Hwanwoong’s father holds open a pendant necklace that he wears, revealing in it a picture of Hwanwoong’s grandfather, a man who’d died shortly after retiring from the family name. Hwanwoong only knows him from the stories his father tells, and he wonders if his grandfather had any scars like Hwanwoong or his father have. All great Hunters should have a few, right?

Closing the pendant, his father starts the Oath, first introducing himself, and then introducing Hwanwoong, declaring that tonight is Hwanwoong’s official Oath. The Hunters greet him by his full name, _Yeo Hwanwoong_ , which would never have been used before tonight. It’s a strange thing, to share the full title. Hwanwoong wonders how long it will take him to actually get used to it.

He wonders if Keonhee is used to being called King, yet. Maybe he and Hwanwoong are in the same boat of confusion, where they aren’t quite ready to take on the new titles they are now forced to have. He tries to stop thinking about Keonhee for now, putting all of his attention into his Oath.

His father begins speaking again. “Hwanwoong, do you swear to use the power of the Yeo family to do right by the world, and hunt Nightmares with your life, even if at the cost of it?”

“I swear.” Hwanwoong’s side throbs, perhaps coincidentally, but certainly reminding him that he’s already almost given his live. His eyes flicker to the scars on his father’s arms, some of them he still doesn’t have the stories for.

“Do you swear to do right by your fellow Hunter family and not make your decisions alone, but at the council of the others?”  
  
“I swear.” Hwanwoong doesn’t forget the conversation with the previous King, how he tried to convince him and Seoho to join his court. It would be a bad look on them both, on their families, and certainly breaking the Oath of Hunters.

“And do you swear to uphold the Yeo family name, and pass it down to the next fitted Hunter, and give up your duties when the time comes for you to do so?”

Hwanwoong wonders how long his father has practiced saying these things, if the words are any different for Hwanwoong than for him, or for other Hunters, really. He’s never attended an Oath before, only his own, and eventually he’ll be the one in his father’s shoes, reciting the Oath for the future of the Yeo family, who ever it might be. “I swear.”

“Then, as the Head of the Yeo family, I hereby pass the family name down to you, Hwanwoong, and welcome you to the official Hunter committee, as Yeo Hwanwoong.”

What Hwanwoong doesn’t expect is the surge of magic in his body, the sudden overwhelming strength that if he didn’t have the ability to endure would surely have brought him to his knees, and he almost wonders if this surge of magic means more strength to using it in the real world. He doesn’t attempt his theory, waiting for the electricity in his body to cool down, before opening his eyes, glancing around at the rest of the people. He wonders why he was ever nervous in the first place, perhaps there’s just no explanation.

Hunting tonight would be a breeze, and Hwanwoong is itching to begin.

The morning after his Oath, Hwanwoong feels more awake than ever. He had his dream about the flightless bird again. Except, this time the birds wings were healed, and when Hwanwoong picked it up, it took off, flying into the sky. Hwanwoong isn’t sure what healed its wings, at least, maybe he does know and hasn’t put the thoughts together.

The magic in his body is a different aspect to having the family name that Hwanwoong has to get used to. He isn’t sure how long it’ll take him, and it’s not like he can just ask because it’s different for every Hunter. But last night had felt amazing, and hunting had never come more natural or easy for him. His father’s official retirement starts today, and instead of being upset, his father seems rather joyous, perhaps that he doesn’t have to combat the surge of magic.

Hwanwoong’s fingers wrap around the pin in his coat again. He wants to see the King, maybe just to talk for a moment. Keonhee’s father is getting sicker, the news of his worsening condition has spread around the Kingdom, and it’s no doubt that he will pass within the next year. Keonhee might not be ready for the full swing of being a King, and Hwanwoong would like to be by his side.

But Hunting requires his focus, as does maintaining his family’s position in the higher parts of the Hunter committee. Hwanwoong is so new to everything, he wants to make sure he doesn’t mess anything up. Besides, he’s been visiting Keonhee for the past few weeks, checking on his dreams, making sure he isn’t stressing, and even though he knows he shouldn’t do that, and knows how against the law of Hunters it is, Hwanwoong can’t help it. It won’t hurt anyone if no one finds out, and since he isn’t around Seoho at the moment, no one should find out anyways. Hwanwoong plans to continue visiting Keonhee in the realm, just before he does Hunting, and only for a few moments, until either he gets caught or has to deal with another one of his Nightmares. 

He wonders if seeing Keonhee’s dreams in more and more clarity each time he decides to check in on them is a good thing, or if it just proves that he might be pushing too far. It’s not like he can exactly consult anyone else, he isn’t supposed to be doing it in the first place, and the only readings about the peering into dreams element to Hunter magic just warn that going too far results in a tear in the realms, allowing for the dangerous manifestations to enter the real world, which would certain evoke a lot more fear into people than it’s worth.

Hwanwoong doesn’t forget the distrust of the Hunters he meets with the month following his Oath. At first the distrust made no sense, but the more he let himself think about it, the more he realizes that they surely heard the news of his dance with Keonhee at his coronation, and without being there themselves, the only thing they exactly know is that Hwanwoong is on the King’s good side, and any alliance between Hwanwoong and the King could potentially danger the rest of the committee. Hwanwoong is certain he isn’t going to win their trust easily, Hwanwoong frankly doesn’t care, either.

—

It’s the middle of summer, near three years after Hwanwoong first met Keonhee that he finally meets him again. The two only spoke in letters, keeping their time spent together to as minimum as possible. They’re both eighteen now, and Keonhee’s official King status is being upheld. His father had passed away the year before, peaceful and in his sleep, and a mere three weeks after his passing and memorial, Keonhee is given full status of King of the Kingdom.

Hwanwoong’s family name is recognized now, more noble than before, and he’s moved into the town, against his father’s advise to stay within the village. Though, Hwanwoong is making good work in the town, offering to train young Hunters in the way Seoho had for him. Today, however, he is set to officially meet with the King again, for a horse riding trip to a place far from the castle or Hwanwoong’s village, somewhere where just the two can talk in more than handwritten words.

He fastens the broach to his shirt, nearly poking his skin with the pin of it, but managing to avoid it at the last moment. Keonhee will probably be excited that he’s continued to wear it, given that at their last meet Hwanwoong hadn’t really gotten the chance to thank him for it, or bring up his liking of it.

“You look all dressed up today.” Seoho leans against the door, Geonhak standing just behind him. “Meeting with the King?”

“Yep.”

Seoho smiles, shaking his head. “Somehow you haven’t pissed off the entire committee with your relationship to the King.”

“He’s just a friend of mine.” Hwanwoong grumbles. “It’s nothing like you and Geonhak have.”

“What was that last part?”

“Nothing! I’m going to be late.” Hwanwoong grabs the hat from the table, brushing past the pair, waving goodbye and thanking them for taking care of his home for the day.

He’d bought his own horse just a few months back, a beautiful white mare, and he’d even built a stable just behind his house, just outside of the town. Given he lives closer to the outskirts, he was able to do it easily. The trip to the castle feels like an old friend, familiar but not yet worn in, and Hwanwoong makes a note to himself that eventually he should take more trips like this.

Keonhee is already ready to go, greeting him just outside the castle walls, accompanied by Youngjo for safety, and when they spot Hwanwoong headed their way, Youngjo parts ways, retreating back into the castle walls and leaving the pair alone. “Are you excited for this?” Keonhee asks.

“Not even a hello?” Hwanwoong laughs. “Of course I am, we haven’t seen each other in a while.”

Contrary to how Hwanwoong assumed he’d be seeing Keonhee, he’s dressed in casual riding wear, toned town purples and browns and the most obvious lack of furs and his crown. Hwanwoong feels a little overdressed, though his attire is nothing out of the ordinary for him, actually. “Sorry, hello, Yeo Hwanwoong.”

“Hello, King Keonhee.”

The serious tone doesn’t last for long, as Keonhee bursts into laughter first, startling Hwanwoong for a moment before he joins him in laughing at their awkwardness, which seems to fade away as the two continue to laugh. “Come on, we’ve got a journey ahead of us.”

“Is this why you asked for me to be ready early in the morning?” Hwanwoong’s mare falls into step beside Keonhee’s, and the two are almost at the same level with each other, easy to talk with each other.

“We should reach the place by noon.”

“How is it being King?”

“Exhausting. You have no idea how ridiculous things are, how much you have to take care of? My mother helps me out a lot, you know? I still don’t think I’m ready for it all.”

“I don’t think you have been ready for anything.”

“Maybe not.” Hwanwoong watches Keonhee carefully, trying to judge his emotions, how he feels, but he’s rather closed off today, unusual and while it should be alarming him, it just reminds Hwanwoong of how long they’ve spent not physically talking. “How’s being the head of your family? Aren’t you like, the leader of the committee now?”

“ _No._ There is no leader in the committee, just noble family names and trustworthy people. Supposedly.”

“Supposedly?”

“My friendship with you makes me very untrustworthy.”

“How come?”

“I’m too close to the highest authority in our Kingdom, I could use that to my advantage, I guess.”

“That’s weird.”

“That’s just how it’s always been. You remember Seoho shooting down your father’s idea those years ago.”

“Well, yeah, but—“

“It’s not any different because you’re the King now.” Keonhee’s mouth closes, eyes wandering off of Hwanwoong. He thinks he might have been harsh, though how harsh can he be if he is just telling Keonhee the truth?

The rest of the ride falls into a routine of small talk followed by silence, and then more small talk, mostly about the new things Hwanwoong is doing, or the funny tales Keonhee has from his new experience as King. When they arrive to the spot Keonhee picked out, Hwanwoong is surprised at how beautiful it is. It reminds him of the destroyed part of the castle overgrown by the hundreds of plants now reclaiming it.

They tie their horses off at a tree, Keonhee taking Hwanwoong’s hand and pulling him to the water, sitting down in the sand bordering it. It’s the edge of the sea, and just before them is the horizon, and Hwanwoong is certain if they stayed long enough they could watch the sunset behind the water. “I’m sorry. I keep asking questions about things I don’t know about.”

“You’re curious. That’s not a crime.”

“I’m curious but I’m asking the wrong questions.”

“Then ask the right ones.”

“What is the committee? If you can talk about it to me, that is.”

Hwanwoong looks at Keonhee, smiling softly. “The committee is just a small group of Hunters, usually the most noble names, who discuss territory and relations every month or so. We’re from all over the place, just a healthy mixture of different backgrounds.”

“And what if you guys have disputes?”

“Then we talk them out.” Hwanwoong hums. “We also hold Oaths together, and welcome the new heads of family names together. None of it is required, you never have to go if you don’t wish to.”

“Have you skipped a meeting?”

“Not since I became the head of my family name.”

“Will you ever tell me about the injury you had from Hunting?”

“How come I knew you were going to ask about that?”

“I’m obvious?” Keonhee sighs. “You don’t need to tell me.”

Hwanwoong unbuttons his shirt, holding back laughter upon seeing Keonhee’s rather confused expression, pulling back the shirt to reveal the scar that spans across his chest. Curious fingers reach out, touching the scar delicately, as if by doing so it’ll somehow still hurt Hwanwoong, and in fact he plays on that fear, hissing in an overdramatic reaction to non-existent pain, and Keonhee immediately draws back. “It doesn’t hurt anymore, Keonhee.”

“Don’t play around with me! I thought I hurt you!”

“I shouldn’t tell you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.” Hwanwoong buttons his shit back up, pulling his knees up to his chest, resting his arms atop them. “I got distracted. Nightmares can have… features similar to people they’re attached to? Usually it’s the eyes.”

“Did you recognize them?”

“They were large, round, and reminded me of a certain boy who I’d recently met at one of my village’s festivals.” Keonhee sits up in realization, but lets Hwanwoong continue to explain. “It was your Nightmare, huge and certainly not weak. I’d gotten caught up in the eyes, peered too far into them… It fed on that and attacked me.”

“But aren’t Nightmares like… not real creatures?”

“They’re very real, Keonhee. Humans don’t ever feel their physical pain, but attacked with a strong enough force, and Hunters will feel it.” Hwanwoong shakes his head. “I don’t remember what your nightmare was though. It’s a good thing, means it hasn’t returned.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You can’t help it.” Hwanwoong rests his hand on Keonhee’s, shaking his head. “No one can prevent Nightmares, they just happen.”

“Mine still hurt you.”

Hwanwoong nods, forcing his eyes off of Keonhee for the moment. Something feels almost childlike about today, about their meeting, their conversation. It’s almost like they haven’t gotten older, like they’re still sixteen and talking to each other to help the other fall asleep, or at least feel tiredness. It brings a swell of emotions to Hwanwoong’s chest, overwhelming him in probably one of the best ways, possible, but he isn’t sure what they mean.

In the silence that follows, Hwanwoong gives the emotions a moment of thought, attempting to process them though he comes up empty handed, just slightly. Keonhee has moved closer to Hwanwoong, which only worries him because what if Keonhee can hear the way his heart is beating like crazy? “You know Hwanwoong, I really wish we could visit each other more often? You know, screw the politics and boring things, I just want a friend? Being King is fucking lonely, Hwanwoong.”

Hwanwoong understands more than he probably should. Being a Hunter is lonely work too, and even if they have their committee and promise to work together and respect each other’s territories, it doesn’t always happen. He doesn’t want to disturb the structure, though, but Keonhee’s lonely glint in his eyes almost drives Hwanwoong to forget the structure altogether. “I’m sorry.” Hwanwoong feels pathetic for only having an apology to say, so he thinks on it for a moment later, and finally finds the words he wants to say. “I’ll find a way to make it work. You’re just as important to me.”

“Don’t risk your family name’s reputation for me, Hwanwoong.”

“Who said I’m risking it? I’ll just burn it down and rebuild it from scratch.” Hwanwoong rests his head on Keonhee’s shoulder, exhaling the breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding in. “We’re gonna figure something out, Keonhee.”

Keonhee scoffs. “I still remember when you refused to call me Keonhee. It was _my Prince_ , back then.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“And by time you started calling me Keonhee, I was becoming King. I was worried you’d start using _your majesty_ on me.”

“Shut up Keonhee.”

He gasps loudly. “How dare you disrespect the King?” But Keonhee is laughing harder, and Hwanwoong starts laughing with him, chest swelling with an overwhelming amount of happiness that he doesn’t want to lose it.

“I’m so sorry, _your majesty_.”

“Dear god, Hwanwoong, _shut up_. Never say that again.” Hwanwoong sits up again, just wanting to see Keonhee’s smile, which upon seeing amplifies the feeling in his chest. “You know, Hwanwoong. You remember when I asked you about feelings?”

“I do. I also remember your parents glaring at me as if that had something to do with me directly.”

“It did.”

“What?”

“When I asked you about feelings, Hwanwoong, I had started to come to an acceptance with my own.” Keonhee’s smile fades for a moment, only returning within his next words. “The past few years I’d been fighting with myself, whether I should give up those feelings. I don’t want to, if I don’t have to.”

“What do you mean?” Hwanwoong shakes his head. “I don’t… know what you mean?”

“I like you, Hwanwoong. How ridiculous, right? The King of a Kingdom, sworn to protect his people and an untold duty to provide them with the best possible heir to the throne, has no interest in doing that untold duty.” Keonhee looks back at the sea, sighing. “I know, it sounds funny. Like a dream, right? A nightmare, maybe?”

“It doesn’t sound weird.” Hwanwoong draws in the sand with his finger. “I just don’t know what to do for you?”

Keonhee smiles. “I don’t know what to do for me, either.”

The quiet that falls upon them is filled with the faint sounds of the sea before them, and Hwanwoong allows for the confession to fully settle into him before he answers Keonhee again. “I promise to see you more often, Keonhee. No matter what the committee think of my relationship with you, I promise to see you more often.”

“I’d love that, so much more than you know.”

“I think I know how much you’d love that.”

“Do you feel like swimming?”

Hwanwoong shakes his head, and when Keonhee grabs him by the wrists to drag him closer to the water he digs his heels into the sand, an eventually failed effort as he’s successfully dragged into the water, the smile on Keonhee’s face washing away any anger Hwanwoong had been feeling the moment before. His promise to Keonhee is a promise he intends to keep, and Keonhee will hold him to it.

Anything just to see Keonhee smile more, and frown less— anything to see him happy and not sad, and Hwanwoong is tired of living a predictable life anyways. 

**Author's Note:**

> i did have the headcanon that perhaps dongju is a hunter in training that hwanwoong trains, and dongmyeong is less than thrilled about hunting, so he uses his abilities in other areas. but who knows, can be up to interpretation. :3
> 
> i hope that you enjoyed it nonetheless!


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